The Power of Intelligence
by phineas81707
Summary: Without an adult to turn to, Lisa is cast away from her home, accompanied by only Maggie. Finding a special school for the gifted, Lisa is given lodgings as she awaits her comeuppance... on C.M. Burns.
1. Lisa's Fate

Lisa fell into her rocking chair. Maggie wandered up to her, not falling over at all this time.

"Hello, Maggie. Sorry… I can't play with you today. I have so many things to worry about."

*Knock* *Knock*

"Now who could that be? Maggie, are we expecting visitors?" Lisa asked. Maggie shrugged. She couldn't talk. The burden of supporting them had taken their toll on Lisa, and she was close to insane.

* * *

"Police Chief Wiggum! What brings you here?" Lisa exclaimed.

"Eh, sorry to bother you, Miss Simpson, but the fact is… well… we might as well sit down." Lisa showed Wiggum to the living room, and sat down on Homer's old couch.

"OK, Lisa, you see, the thing is… Marge is put away for 20 years, if she's lucky. Judge Harm was very tight on drug peddling. And we've found out Homer's in a Nevadan prison, with no way of coming back to Springfield."

"So what does that mean for us…" Lisa asked, her hands shaking.

"Well, we have to start seizing the criminals possessions. I don't make the laws, I just… something with them. Because I'm a good guy, I'll tell you what. I'll let you keep what you want. But sadly, the house isn't up for negotiation."

"But… where will we go?"

"I'm sorry Lisa, but we haven't got anywhere for you to turn. I know, we should, because it's close to illegal to kick you out of your house without compensation… Ooh! What's that outside?" Wiggum was distracted from his apology by a yellow car moving along the road.

* * *

"One hundred thousand dollars!" Mr Burns called.

"Do I hear a new bid? Going once? Going twice? Sold, to number 000!"

"Aha! I'm richer than you all!" Mr Burns taunted.

"Ooh! Burns! How much I hate him!" Lisa shook, before sighing. Bundling up her rag around her shoulders, she took Maggie and left, wandering in search of a place to live.

**Exceptionally, painfully short... but this ending was too good to pass up.**

**So yeah, I'm trying to redo my old _Tale of Two Geniuses_ story. The ending of one of the Simpsons' many episodes (specifically _We're On the Road To D'ohwhere_) gave a vibe that could really help this story... I hope.**

**Yes, this is _TOTG_, even if it has a different plotline. The original lacked a direction. I hope this one doesn't.**

**...Wait, I have to do a signoff?**


	2. Lieflijk Appears

Maggie wandered away from Lisa, and put her hands on a van parked outside of Springfield Elementary.

"Maggie, what is it?" Lisa asked. Naturally, Maggie elected not to answer with words, but with actions. She gestured to the van's label. _Lieflijk's College for the Creatively Gifted._

"What does this have to do with anything?" Lisa asked pragmatically. Maggie pointed to the school, where the vague sounds of a special lecturer echoed.

"Maggie, that's it! Thank you!" Lisa took her backpack, and pulled out two cups and a string, fashioning a makeshift phone.

"Now, Maggie, grab this, and climb up to that voice." Maggie saluted, and ascended the school.

* * *

"And that is how Lieflijk's College differs from regular school. Any questions?" the voice stated. Apparently, the speech had just ended.

"Um, Miss Hoover, there's a baby on the ledge!" Ralph stated. Miss Hoover growled, and looked at the ledge to find Maggie.

"What is this child doing here?" she asked.

"Aw, she's so cute!" one of the girls stated.

"She looks like Lisa's sister…" Janey followed.

"I have this… is anybody down there?" the lecturer questioned.

"Yeah… my name is Lisa Simpson. I was recently kicked out of my home, and-"

"And you made this makeshift phone to listen in on this speech? Wow. Ingenious. Listen, is there anyone else like you at this school?"

"Doubt it."

"Come with me to the van. And bring your little baby, too."

* * *

"OK, Lisa. Let me explain. I am a humble woman, eager to encourage society's most needed trait. One that isn't so readily available," Miss Lieflijk explained. She was a young woman, wearing a yellow sundress. Whatever Lisa expected of the lecturer, this wasn't it.

"OK, Miss Lieflijk. I get this. But why do you think I should be here?" Lisa asked. She was seated in the passenger seat of the van.

"That trait is creativity. Ingenuity. Imagination. Instead of walking straight to class, which should have led to certain failure, you used your little sister and this wonderful device to eavesdrop. Lisa, I feel like you are one of the best students for the school!"

"Thank you, Miss Lieflijk. But I have no money. No home."

"Call me Bethany, dear. And you can stay on campus free of charge. Society is driven by materialistic desire. What we need is the haves to give to the have nots."

"Of course… Bethany." Lisa was ecstatic. At long last, she had a home, a woman that could look after her and Maggie, and a school which suited her needs.

What more could she want?

**Another short chapter, but I want the different portions in different chapters. As I start to get into more complicated elements, these chapters might get longer. But... at least stories start slow.**

**Remember, _Sunny With A Chance Of Thunderstorms _will be a while. Until I finish my English.**

**If anybody wants me, I'll be in my room.**


	3. First Day Home

"So, here we are, Lisa!" Bethany gestured. Lisa looked around oddly. The room was empty.

"Sorry about that. I didn't expect to find a girl like you, so I didn't have a room prepared. I can get started on that soon."

"Now I wish I hadn't abandoned the bed," Lisa sighed. The bed wouldn't have fit inside the backpack anyway.

"Abandoned the bed? Lisa, what happened?"

"When I got kicked out of my house, Chief Wiggum let me keep whatever I wanted. I couldn't realistically keep my old bed."

"Aw… honey, I'll get you one back. Just let me know what it looked like."

Lisa explained what her bed looked like, and as a quick additional note, what kind of shelves she was used to. She doubted Bethany could retrieve her old gear.

* * *

She was surprised when Bethany came back with the exact same bed, and the same shelves, too.

"Wow… how did you get these?"

"With a little imagination, nothing is too hard!" Bethany said cheerily. Lisa opened her bag, and started pulling out all of her stuff to put onto the shelves.

"Now, you and Maggie are free to wander campus today. If you don't mind, I've got to get some paperwork done…"

* * *

Bethany arrived back in Springfield Police Station, and walked up the stairs.

"I'm looking for a Chief Wiggum?" she asked Lou.

"Whoa, whoa, girl… Chief Wiggum does not see others without an appointment."

"I wanted to talk to him about Lisa."

"Let her in, Lou! I wanted to talk about Lisa too."

* * *

"Chief Wiggum, first of all, thank you for letting Lisa keep her old things."

"Ah, my boy once loved Lisa. And I wouldn't be a very nice man if I didn't help Lisa after what happened to her parents."

"Oh my… did they pass on?"

"No, no no… her father was arrested for… what was it… fighting a pit boss, or something? And her mother was arrested for dealing drugs."

"...Any siblings?"

"Yeah. Two. She's got a baby sister, which I think you'd've met, and also an older brother. We have no idea where he is."

"…Alright, I'd like to meet Lisa's mother."

* * *

Lisa's mother, Marge, was curled up in one corner of her cell. Bethany came in, and sat on the bench across her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Bethany Lieflijk. I run a country-wide school for the gifted, but enough about that. I came in here to ask one question: can I adopt your daughters?"

"What? No! Not my babies!" Marge started to panic. "I wasn't even a drug dealer! It was just a yard sale! You've taken my family from me! Don't… please!"

"Whoa, settle down, Marge…" Bethany cooed, placing her hands on Marge's shoulders, and seated her back down. "I didn't think you'd take it that badly…"

"Well… I was right. I wasn't a drug dealer. I was taking advantage of Homer and Bart being gone by selling their old stuff. How was I supposed to know their old medicines were illegal to sell?" Marge rambled. Bethany nodded.

"Chief?"

"I believe Marge attempted this defence in court, and Judge Harm invoked a saying like… '_Ignorantia juris non excusat_'? Whatever it means, it was a legal term that means Marge can get locked in here. And the chance for bail has since been revoked."

"That doesn't sound right!"

"Yeah, not really… but I can't do a thing about it. Now, Marge… I know this sounds crazy, but I think you should give Miss Lieflijk here your children. If not through adoption, then at least by guardianship."

"…You know… I don't think I have much choice here… Miss Lieflijk, can I trust you with Lisa and Maggie?"

"Yes. They trust me, and I them."

"…Miss Lieflijk… you have their guardianship rights. See that they get what they deserve… because I can't…" Marge dissolved into sobs.

"…I promise you, Marge. I will keep your daughters safe even if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"…Thank you."

* * *

"Good morning, girls!" Bethany called, coming in after a long sleep for all of them.

"Good morning. What did you need to do last night?"

"I got official guardianship rights. As of last night, I am now in charge of keeping you safe and healthy," Bethany explained.

"Wow… thank you…"

"Now, my wards… I should probably explain everything on campus. We've got a bit to wait before school officially starts.

* * *

The first room was the R&amp;D Centre. Lined up were several computers, and stacks of books on a variety of topics. R&amp;D stood for Research and Development, meaning this was quite clearly mostly for cross reference.

The second room was the Target Room. It was basically full of blueprint paper, allowing students to sketch up and edit plans for constructions.

The third room was the Nuts &amp; Bolts Room. In this room, any physical production that was necessary could be undertaken. Lisa could quite clearly see space for at least twenty large-ish products to fit quite comfortably. Bethany sure knew how to make a school this creative in concept not fall on its face by simple physics.

The fourth room was the Beta Room. There were several contraptions spread about that made it ideal for testing anything you could ever want. Need to test something that wasn't here? Room for that, too.

The fifth room quite surprised Lisa, and was the final nail in the coffin of the idea that Bethany was floundering about in idealism. The fifth room, entitled the Scribble Room, was quite clearly aimed at artists. Several easels, just about anything you could draw with, and a corner arranged for sculpting.

The sixth room was the Plotting Room. It was entirely devoted to being able to write. Pads of paper, a printer that was designed with manuscripts in mind, and even several portable computers.

"So, my dear… what do you think?"

"…Wake me up. I'm sure I'm dreaming."

"Well, believe it or not, you aren't! It took me a year and a half, but I have the funding for this thing." Lisa started to hug Bethany.

"Yes… well… time to get practicing!"

* * *

"Welcome, my students. You have all been identified as being simply creative students, and plenty bright. So… here at Lieflijk's College for the Creatively Gifted, we support learning at one's own pace. Get to it!"

Several of the students ran off, leaving Lisa and Maggie with a trio of two boys and a girl.

"Well, Phineas… what do you want to do today?" the girl asked flirtatiously. The boy called Phineas looked around, as if unnerved, before running off.

"Darn. I knew I shouldn't have tried that!" the girl sighed.

"Hello. What are your names?" Lisa asked, mostly to divert attention from her worries about the girl.

"Oh, hello. My name is Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, and this is Ferb Fletcher. The boy you may have saw run off was Phineas Flynn, my b-friend."

"Hello, Isabella. My name is Lisa Simpson, and this is my baby sister Maggie."

"Aw, she's so cute! I hope me an-I have a child that cute someday!"

"…OK, now you're starting to scare me. Why are you cutting yourself off?"

"…I have a crush on Phineas."

"And he's scared of you because…?"

"I've had this crush since I was very little. Every time we touch… I get this feeling. Every time he opens his mouth, I get carried away. I just can't focus on him long enough to know how to get to him. It doesn't help that he's the most oblivious boy on the planet oh hi Phineas! Whatcha doin'?"

"Wow… that was fast…" Lisa said.

"Get used to it."

**Finally, a long chapter of this thing. Now we're cooking with gas!**

**And also, _Ignorantia juris non __excusat _is a thing. Everything else is probably not, because of _Ignorantia juris non __excusat, _but Marge needs to not be in the story.**

**There's one more expository chapter left, or at the very least a setting up chapter, before we get going. Don't worry, there will be more action than this time.**

**If anybody wants me, I'll be in my room, writing.**


	4. You Only Run Twice

_Homer sat down at the dealer's table, prepared to play a round of poker. Bart wandered off, looking for a different game to con. He spared a glance at Homer every now and then. Dude was winning a pile of chips. Just before he hit the roulette table, he heard Homer's scream._

_A pit boss had him on a headlock on the table. Bart saw Homer's hand: a Royal Flush of spades. He glanced at one of the competitors hands: another Jack of Spades. Homer got caught! Bart fled the casino, and into the shadows._

* * *

Bart panted. He had been running for hours, and was sure to be in a new state by now. He was disoriented from his run, and hoped that he was close to Springfield. He stumbled into a garden… filled with a variety of exotic wildlife.

"Cool… I wonder where this place is," he said, before several security systems went haywire. Bart looked around, panicked, before the security shut down. Instead, two faceless goons walked up to him, and extended their arms.

"Your name is Bart, correct?"

"How did you know?"

"Our boss knows all."

* * *

"Bart Simpson! Just the man I was hoping to meet. Well, not actually the man, but close enough!"

"What? Where am I?" Bart asked.

"Bart Simpson, I would like to welcome you to… the Globex Corporation! I am its leader, Hank Scorpio!"

"Hey, I remember you! Didn't Dad work in your company for a while?"

"Yes, actually. He was who I was hoping for, but I suppose the son would be just as good."

"What? What are you planning?"

"Well, boy, I'm going to be straight with you. I am bent on world domination, one step at a time. But I got set back quite a long way. I want you to help me once again realise my dream. Can you do that?"

"You bet I can."

* * *

Isabella wandered away from the brothers and sisters. She needed some time to think. She didn't expect Lisa to be stealing Phineas, but you could never tell sometimes. She eventually came across a room that she wasn't familiar with from the briefing.

_LISA SIMPSON_

_&amp; MAGGIE_

Isabella shrugged, and entered the room. She let out a gasp. Inside was what looked like a bedroom. In one corner was the obvious bed, with a smaller one to one side. On the walls were several pictures, some hand drawn, and some different. However, it was one framed photo that caught her attention. On top of a dresser, she saw a portrait of five people. Lisa and Maggie were instantly recognisable.

"Is this her family?" Isabella asked. She looked at the others. A tall, fat, balding man, presumably her father. A woman with a tall hairdo, most likely her mother. And there was a boy, about Lisa's age, with blond spiky hair and a glint in his eye that spelled mischief, in the picture as well.

"She had a brother? What happened to this family?" Isabella looked under the portrait, and found a sheet of paper containing a list.

_-Homer: Fought pit boss in Las Vegas. In Nevada jail_

_-Marge: Found dealing drugs in yard sale. In jail without parole._

_-Bart: Missing. Last seen with Homer._

_-Lisa: Evicted from home. Living under the guardianship of Bethany._

_-Maggie: Same as Lisa._

"Oh my…"

"Finished looking?" a voice asked. Isabella jumped, and turned around. It was Lisa.

"Sorry…"

"…Nah, it's fine. Just tell me when you're coming in here next time. And I see you've met the family."

"Your family was torn apart by crime…" Isabella began to cry.

"Knock it off, Isabella. If anyone should be crying, it's me. I'm the one without the family."

"I'm sorry… just… it's such a bad thought."

"Yeah. I miss them too. Even Dad. I've been trying to locate Bart, but no luck."

"I know what we're going to do today."

* * *

"So Phineas, that's what happened to her," Isabella elaborated. Phineas nodded, and Ferb clicked his pen, having finished taking notes.

"Whatcha got there, Ferb?"

"We're going to need a baseline." Lisa pulled a picture of Bart alone out of her bag.

"How long will it take?"

"Well, tracking technology has never succeeded without the actual subject being near the tracker at least once, so… give us an hour or two."

**Short, but what chapter of this isn't?**

**Remember when I said this was darker? I mostly meant Bart's flight. I wasn't going to discuss Lisa, but I ran out of Bart stuff.**

**I have a general idea of where we're going, but not how we're going to get there. Next chapter will introduce a conflict.**

**If anybody wants me, I'll be in my room, writing.**


	5. Burn on Burns

"And done. Presenting… the Tracker Ray! Just place a picture of who you want to look for, and the tracker will tell you where it is!" Phineas explained.

"Why couldn't you just bring it here?"

"We tried that once. We brought Ferb's grandfather's feet back by accident. Don't want it to happen again. After all, you've only given us a midshot."

"Stop right there!" an old man said. Bethany looked over her shoulder, as did the five children. The old man kicked the gate. The gate remained firmly shut.

"Smithers…" the man sighed. Smithers lightly tapped the gate, moving it aside.

"Good god, man, stop making me feel bad… anyway, young girl, I'm afraid this place is mine!"

"A) Who are you, and B) What are you talking about?" Bethany steamed.

"I? I am Charles Montgomery Burns, and you will be ceding this school to me for the paltry sum of… one hundred thousand dollars?" Mr Burns looked directly at Lisa. Lisa became incensed.

"Mr Burns, get out of my LIFE! You've caused nothing but trouble to my entire family! You're polluting the environment with your toxic chemicals! You should have died when Maggie shot you. It would have done the world a service," Lisa let out her tirade.

"Lisa!" Bethany exclaimed. It surprised her to hear her ward say things so callously.

"I'll handle this… shut up, little girl. I am the richest man in the US of A, and I want this school to level down into a second power plant!"

"OK, Burns. You have crossed a line. Get out of my school!" Bethany said. Mr Burns jumped back in shock, before leaving with a "I'll be back!"

"Lisa, are you alright?"

"Ah, my head…"

* * *

"Lisa… Lisa, wake up!" Phineas called out.

"I'm up," Lisa said, sitting bolt upright. She reached for her little sister, and drew her in close.

"Phew… you had us going there. Just who was that man?" Phineas asked. Lisa put Maggie in Ferb's arms, and went to gaze out the window.

"Montgomery Burns… the heartless tycoon at the top of Springfield. It is said that hatred and fear keep him alive. He is certainly heartless enough to need a different way to survive. And Maggie, despite the fact it was accidental, was thoroughly justified in shooting Mr Burns based on the events of a short week alone."

"So, basically… I'm not buying it. Sorry, but could someone really be that evil?"

"*Sigh*… I'll tell you the tale. It all began-"

* * *

The hunched over scientist snarled. He had just been defeated by a platypus for the jillionth time. He scrambled over to the pieces of his invention, only to be interrupted by Norm.

"Hey, Dr D. You have a call from a Mr No Name Given."

"Ah, well, put him on already!" Norm's face opened, and from inside him came a television. Displayed clearly on the television was the face of a young boy with spiky yellow hair.

"Greetings, Dr Duffenshmertz-"

"Doofenshmirtz."

"Whatever. I've been informed you are scientist bent on world domination-"

"Actually, just the Tri-State Area. I've failed at that alone."

"Interrupt again, and you'll find your building turned to scrap metal. Anyway, you are now a worker for Globex Corporation."

"Hey, I didn't agree to this!"

"We are kind to our workers. Scorpio has never mistreated one yet. We'll even sort out your monotreme troubles."

Doofenshmirtz mulled it over.

"No. Absolutely, unequivocally, NO!"

"You do not have a choice." Norm closed his face, and grabbed Dr Doofenshmirtz. He flew him off to the Globex Corporation.

* * *

"And they acquitted her because no state would convict a baby. Except maybe Texas."

"Wow… but wait, how did you know about all those parts you weren't there for?"

"I don't know. But now you know Mr Burns at his worst. And I severely doubt this is much better than then."

"Um, my ward… I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time for Phineas, Ferb and Isabella to go home."

"Oh, sure, go ahead. See you tomorrow."

"We will."

* * *

"So, what did you think of Lisa's story?"

"It was really quite tear-jerking. It really makes me think twice about my relationship with my mother," Isabella said.

"Yeah, same thing here. But what about Mr Burns?"

"He certainly seems evil enough, and even though there may be an exaggeration of sorts, there are parts of her story that add up. The tale about the search for Mr Burns' shooter was well made, and even if it wasn't, I think Mr Burns did buy her home."

"Lighten up back there, kids. You guys are too little to have to worry about things that big," Linda said.

"Lisa is younger still. She's eight, right?"

"Definitely."

"Well, it'd be nice to invite her over. Welcome her to our collective family," Vivian said.

"Wait, when were we the same family?" Phineas asked. Everyone rolled their eyes.

* * *

Lisa pulled out a small book from her backpack.

"When did I pick this up?" she flicked through it. She began to absorb the information within it, before finally throwing it away.

"My goddess, that couldn't have been more boring," Lisa stated. "What a waste of paper." She rolled over into her sheets, and finally went to sleep.

* * *

"Welcome to Globex Corporation. Sorry about the boy. He's taking his role in this a little bit rough. But here, we don't believe in the word 'boss'. Sure, I come in earlier than you, I'm paid more, and I get more leave, but I don't like being called 'boss'."

"Wow. You are a nice guy."

"Well, here at Globex Corporation, we strive to be as productive as my friends will go without complaining. You are one of the few people that knows our true intentions."

"Uh huh."

"So, see if you can't get our productivity up. We have a world to conquer!"

**Setting up plots (setting up plots) Hope I remember them (hope I remember them) Do I really want to work on this a lot (do I really want to work on this a lot) come the end of Kalos (come the end of Kalos)**

**Sounding less like a mindless miner, I do have plenty of ways to go, and I do kind of want to shove a lot of it into these minor updates. It might even make sense from a story standpoint to continue sporadic updates after Pokemon is over. Probably because rarity = effort or something.**

**The book Lisa browses through is something to be covered later. It's not a big thing, but I should mention it.**

**If anybody wants me, I'll be in my room, writing.**


	6. Dinner of Gratitude

"Hey, Lisa!" Isabella called out as soon as the 'class' got started the next day. The word 'class' should be used loosely.

"Oh, hey, Isabella!" Lisa called back. Isabella curtsied.

"Listen, my mom asked if maybe you'd like to come over for dinner?" Isabella asked.

"…Sure, why not? As cool as this school is, might be nice to remember what a family dinner looks like."

"Lisa, I know you've been through hard times… but does every other thing you say have to remind me?" Lisa had no response to that. She picked up Maggie, and walked away to the Beta Room.

* * *

"Say… hey, Hank! What's with the device here?" Doofenshmirtz asked, having arrived in the main hub room for the three big bads of the company for the first time.

"This… this is our main project. It is of grand design, and its purpose malevolent beyond compare!"

"Understood. What is that purpose?"

"We cannot tell that to anybody else. There could be bugs anywhere. It never hurt anybody to be too careful. In fact, I can feel one… right…" Bart began, before leaping into the corner of the room.

* * *

Come the night after Isabella's meek suggestion, and Lisa was ready to go and visit her newfound friend's place. Bethany peeked her head around the corner, as she saw Maggie crawl into Lisa's backpack.

"How does she fit in there? I'm sure there's more stuff in that thing than I know of…" Bethany asked.

"Oh, there's plenty of room in it. Now, should we get going?" Lisa asked. "She said 2308, Maple Drive, the state three east and two south of here."

* * *

"Hello, Lisa. Welcome to the Flynn-Fletcher household!" Phineas' mother, Linda, said. Lisa stepped into the house, rather in awe. It had been months since she had had a family of her own. Bethany was great companionship, but she didn't come close to serving the role of this place. She absently took a seat at the dinner table, and letting Maggie next to her. Phineas took her other side, and Bethany sat opposite her. Isabella sat on Phineas' other side, and Ferb, Linda, Lawrence and Vivian took their seats as well, bringing the food itself. The four families could finally eat.

"So, Lisa… tell us what your family was like," Linda asked.

"Well, Dad was an overweight alcoholic who, after making so many mistakes it's stopped being funny, still manages to prove he's got a good heart.

"Mom was obsessed with domesticity, sometimes to an irritating extent, but she was a good sounding board for me and my ideas, despite us being complete opposites.

"And Bart… well… he's mischief incarnate and mind-numbingly irritating to be around… but just like Dad, he's got it where it counts."

"Nice folks, huh?" Lawrence asked. Lisa nodded.

"And do you guys know-?" Vivian asked, glancing briefly in Phineas and Isabella's direction.

"Yeah, she told me."

"Good. See if you can't knock some sense that way," Linda suggested. "So, Miss Lieflijk, what inspired you to make a school like that?"

"Call me Bethany, Linda. Well, it just… came to me in a dream. The idea of a school that looked not for academic achievement, but creative achievement as well… You know, achievement that matters?"

"Yes, I can see that."

"Well, from there, I built _Lieflijk's College for the Creatively Gifted_. I had to encompass every value of creative thinkers to do it, and every 'class', my students teach me more and more. It's the most fun I've had challenging myself."

"Amazing…" Lawrence noted. "So, how did you decide who gets in?"

"Well, they have to… yeah, actually, I don't know what I'm looking for. All I know is that I visited a new school every Thursday, and I'd find what I'm looking for, or I wouldn't. I found twenty-five students. Phineas and Ferb were visible from a mile away. I knew Isabella had what it took from a closer inspection. Lisa took adversity in her stride, and I'm still not sure about the entire contents of her backpack."

Vivian nodded. Linda took a start.

"What do you mean, you could see Phineas and Ferb from a mile away?" she asked. At that moment, another girl entered the house, having finally got home from her school.

"Evening, Candace. You're just in time for dinner!"

"Oh, good! Hope you don't mind if I grab some food now, I'm starving," Candace said, taking the final seat. She started gorging herself, taking care to not get food all over the guests.

"Glad she doesn't forget her table manners. Now, back to my question: What do you mean, you could see Phineas and Ferb from a mile away?" Linda said. Candace stopped eating immediately.

"I suddenly feel like this conversation's interesting," she said. She turned to Bethany.

"The automatic test marker."

"The automatic… what?" Linda asked, confused.

"I got attracted to them by the automatic test marker they built for Danville. What, did you think they stood out from the crowd by being very tall?"

"They built…" Linda murmured, trying to bring the conversation back to level territory.

"Told you, Mom!" Candace cheered. "See, I wasn't the only person who noticed!"

"Wait wait wait… wait. You mean to tell me, that you had _no idea whatsoever _that your kids were gadgeteer prodigies?" Bethany asked, she herself confused. "You'd think the principal would have clued you in…"

Phineas was watching this conversation silently. It was at this point he stepped in.

"Mom, I thought we told you we were building stuff. Candace doesn't shut up about it," he said, calmly and rationally.

"…Just let me lie down, and think this through." Linda left the table, leaving a dead silence in her wake.

"I always wondered why Linda never mentioned it…" Vivian muttered to herself. "De verdad, no tengo ni idea de cómo ella nunca se dio cuenta. Estaba sucediendo en su patio trasero ..."

"Mom, not in the Flynn-Fletcher's. Phineas can hear you, remember?"

"Don't worry, Isabella. She didn't say anything weird. She hasn't said anything all that weird in Spanish apart from the first time I could understand."

Vivian sighed. One day, Phineas would understand that line: "Así, mi hija, ¿cómo usted y Phineas haciendo? Espero que no tengo nietos."

* * *

The end of the meal came with no further 'big' announcements. Lisa stood up to leave, before feeling an arm on her shoulder.

"Lisa, why don't you stay the night?" Phineas asked. Lisa looked thoughtful at that.

"What do you think, Bethany?"

"Well… it would be a good thought for you, you know? Didn't you say you've never been out with friends much before you lost your mom?"

"Did you have to say that in front of everyone?"

"Yes."

"Very well, Lisa. I suppose you and Isabella can stay tonight," Linda agreed. "But leave the door open."

* * *

"So, Lisa… what do you think about our family?" Isabella asked.

"It's perfect, Isabella. Just like my old one. Except… without the blatant flaws."

Isabella nodded, smiling, before falling asleep. Lisa let her, before walking over to a window, and sitting Maggie on its sill.

"Well, Maggie… we haven't done half bad," Lisa murmured to herself. Maggie nodded, before curling up and falling asleep.

"Am I really that boring?" Lisa asked, vaguely annoyed, before snuggling Maggie into her backpack. She then sat down in a chair, gazing out the window until she could gaze no more.

**So, this story is moving slowly, especially since it gets updated every month and a half or so. But... I got nothing. Next chapter should be a big one, if I can get it to work.**

**I am not American. I have never been to America. I do not know America's 50 states. I will be absolutely no help in determining which of the 48 mainland states houses Springfield, Lieflijk's College, or the three states that make up Danville. I would probably make more inconsistencies by accident than the writers of both _The Simpsons _and _Phineas &amp; Ferb _could on purpose.**

**Also, Bart's gone crazy. He saw the fourth wall.**

**If anybody wants me, I'll be in my room, writing.**


	7. The Heartless

The next school day, Bethany escorted Phineas, Ferb, Isabella and Lisa back to the College, only to find a barbed wire fence surrounding it, and construction workers tearing it down.

"Oh for the love of- WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Bethany asked, incensed.

"Ord'r fr'm Mr. Burns, this was. H'me to his s'cond Nucle'r P'wer Plant," the nearest construction worker replied. "Now, if y'll 'xcuse us…" he continued, shooing them away.

"What do we do now?" Isabella asked.

"I… I don't know. I never thought Mr. Burns would steal my land…" Bethany sighed. Maggie crawled her way out of Lisa's back, and pointed to a picture of a power plant.

"Maggie? What is it?" Lisa asked. Maggie pointed more urgently to it, and then to Bethany's car.

"…Oh no we don't. Maggie, do you know how insanely dangerous that is?" Lisa asked. Maggie nodded.

"What on Earth are we going to do after that, anyway?" she continued. Maggie shrugged.

"Whatever it is, it beats standing around listening to half an argument. What is she suggesting?" Phineas asked.

"We go to the Nuclear Power Plant and stop Burns from there," Lisa stated.

"…Worth a shot. How adamant could Mr Burns possibly be?" Bethany said.

* * *

"No, no, a million times no!" Mr Burns roared.

"You do realise what you are doing is illegal, right?" Lisa asked right back. Burns pressed a button on his console, and his bookcase opened to reveal a blue-haired lawyer.

"This is the best lawyer in Springfield. You consider bringing this to court, and he will out-lawyer you to the point of you having to pay me royalties. Capiche?" Burns explained. Lisa stood still for a full few seconds.

"Lisa, are you all right?" Phineas asked.

"MR BURNS!" she roared, and charged over the desk. Mr Burns managed to disentangle himself from his chair at that moment, and ran from the room.

"Hold it, right there, little girl. You can be charged for assault for that," the lawyer stated.

"I don't care. It's about time someone put an end to Mr Burns' harmful life choices."

* * *

"Now how do we get up there?" Phineas asked. He was the only one to follow Lisa following Burns around the plant. Now, Mr Burns stood in front of a toxic vat, on a raised catwalk. Lisa had no idea how to give chase, and was contemplating giving up the chase.

"Yes… your nuclear power is too important to give up!" Mr Burns cackled. Lisa snarled, before clearing her mind. She remembered what she had read. Seemingly a stupid idea, and one that went against everything she believed in, but an idea nonetheless.

"Go forth and bloom!" she said, reaching a state of inner peace, and meditating. A giant piece of catwalk that had long since fallen from its intended position flew into the air. It glided over to Phineas and Lisa, and dropped gently down, snapping into place as a ramp.

"Wow… what just happened, Lisa?" Phineas asked.

"I harnessed my Buddha Hand Powers to build us a bridge," Lisa replied.

"Buddha Hand Powers? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

"Yes. I read about it in a book, and scoffed at it. But I didn't have any better ideas, and meditation would have been good for me…" Lisa shrugged, and climbed up to face Mr Burns.

* * *

"You… I had no idea you'd be so tenacious. So I suppose it might be high time I plucked up the strength to defeat you in person!" Mr Burns triumphantly said.

"Wasn't this argument about property rights?" Lisa quietly snarked, as Mr Burns dived into the nuclear waste. When he came out, he was glowing an eerie green.

"Ahaha! My power has been multiplied by a factor of an odd brazillian!" he cackled.

"Oh dear," Lisa sighed, before jumping over Burn's opening attack.

* * *

"Hrrgh… hrrgh… and… in position!" Doofenshmirtz called up to Bart.

"Perfect. And now… I shall unleash the ultimate weapon. The East Coast will be ours!"

* * *

Lisa grabbed Mr Burn's forearm, and threw him from atop the catwalk. He flew rather easily, and Lisa jumped down after him. Burns aimed a powerful roundhouse blow her way, which was easily blocked.

"No… How?" Mr Burns asked.

"You're not all that strong, you know?" Lisa responded, before unleashing a three blow combo. Phineas appeared behind Mr Burns to catch him.

"Now… have you reconsidered? Are you going to quit destroying _Lieflijk's College_?" Lisa asked. At that moment, a bright light of an indescribable hue lit up the plant. It vanished as suddenly as it had arrived, and Mr Burns' expression had changed.

"Wait… I'm destroying a school? I am so sorry! What can I do to help out?" Burns cheerily said.

"…Uh… you could call of your project, remove your workers, and maybe provide the funding to fix what has been damaged?" Lisa snarked.

* * *

A week later, after Mr Burns had done exactly this, Bethany had seated her four main students around a table, intent on discussing what had occurred.

"I told you we could persuade him!" Bethany said.

"No… Mr Burns would not have changed his mind that easily… you're thinking of Grampa," Lisa said.

"Yeah, but the important thing is that it worked out," Phineas stated. At that moment, someone began knocking on the door. Ferb went to open it, and let in a middle-aged man with a purple jacket.

"Good afternoon, my name is Hank Scorpio. I am here looking for a Lisa Simpson," he said.

"Scorpio? Weren't you Dad's old boss?" Lisa asked.

"Lisa! Can you help me? Of course you can! I'll be blunt: your brother has gone off the deep end. You're the only one who can stop him. Well, there is a more reliable person. But she's in jail. Which leaves you."

**Because a story-long gap in between updates isn't bad enough, I've gotta leave cliffhangers, as well.**

**And with that, I have a general idea of how this story is going to end, but a vaguer one of how it is going to get there. Coincidentally, I foresee about two chapters left, maybe more if I get more ideas. Convenient, I suppose?**

**I have established the teams I needed for _Revenge is Best Served Ice-Cold_. That should be out sometime in the near future. Especially considering that this story is one of my (personally) most anticipated to date.**

**If anybody wants me, I'll be in my room, writing.**


	8. Dark Magnifier

"He what?" Lisa asked.

"It's a long story… but what the hey, I'll tell it to you! I lost control of the East Coast not long after Homer left my company, and have been conducting a plan to get back the East Coast," Hank Scorpio replied, idly playing with the zipper on his coat.

"Wait, you're a super villain?" Bethany asked.

"Oh… well… I don't like the word villain. Call me Hank," Scorpio said. Lisa turned to look at Phineas. They all shrugged. They had seen worse villains than this guy. And if Bart had really gone off a deep end, like Hank claimed, then there was no future in antagonising him unnecessarily.

"We're listening," Lisa said, nodding.

"Good. Well, after that, I took a good long look at the sorts of people that succeed, and the sorts that fail. Then, one of the men on our board gave me a brilliant idea. Why don't I take the powers from the successful people? And that gave birth to the Dark Magnifier. Or Dark Magnifinator, if you talk to the other guy," Hank explained.

"-inator, huh? Ferb, why does that sound familiar to me?" Phineas asked. Ferb shook his head. Phineas turned back to Hank, and gestured for him to continue.

"We just finished production on the Dark Magnifier. From there, I intended to fire it, but Bart took over. He locked me out of Globex, and fired the ray himself. The blast was at more power than I ever intended for it to go to. I doubt there is a man, alive or dead, with a shred of evil still remaining within him. And you know the law of the conservation of energy. You're all bright kids. Where do you think all that dark energy went?" Hank finished.

"It had to have gone somewhere. And, judging by the weapon's original purpose, I'm going to say it went into Bart."

"Right on the nose. So, will you help me knock some sense back into that boy?" Hank asked, raising his arms. Bethany, Lisa, Phineas, Ferb and Isabella all looked between each other. It was one thing to try and stop an insane family member. But it was another thing entirely to go up against someone who had withdrawn all evil energy into himself.

"That glow… that's what happened to Mr Burns!" Isabella realised. Lisa nodded slowly. They had the proof that Hank's claim was genuine. She felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, and turned to see Phineas.

"Lisa… he's your brother," Phineas said. Lisa nodded, conceding the point. She had been left with no family following the craze of Bart's steam tunnel prank. That had seemed so innocent at the time…

"We're on your side, Scorpio," Lisa said, nodding.

* * *

The six of them were soaring down the highway in Hank's supervillain car, which he had managed to claim before Bart's rampage. Lisa was seated in the front, and was given time to mull over what had happened prior.

Homer had foolishly gotten himself in trouble with the law, and Marge had been arrested on an accidental charge. Bart was accompanying Homer, but managed to escape the fate that had befallen him.

Bart would have found Hank, and worked together on the Dark Magnifier with him. Lisa wondered how Bart would have happened to find Hank, but the why was less important than the fact that it did occur.

Lisa was evicted from her home by Mr Burns. She never found out what Burns was using the land for, but she knew in her heart that, even if they took the time to check, she could never go back.

Lisa was taken in by Bethany, who had opened an advanced school for the creative. There, she had met and befriended Phineas, Ferb and Isabella.

Together, she and her new friends had gone back to Springfield and stopped Mr Burns from destroying her new home. They had managed it, but it was highly likely due to the very thing that started this issue.

All in all, she was still on the fence about how much she missed her old life. On the one hand, it was sad to see Homer and Marge incarcerated and Bart drunk with power, but on the other, she admitted that Phineas and his crew had changed her for the better. At the very least, she was grateful for Maggie.

"Now approaching: Cypress Creek," Hank said, shaking Lisa from her stupor.

* * *

Cypress Creek was a stunning town, coated in beautiful housing and stunning forests. Lisa, remembering her last time here, wound up her window.

"Everything you could ask for, and more…" Phineas said.

"Pity it's a supervillain's base of operations. This is probably a dystopia underneath it all…" Isabella agreed.

"Dystopia is a hard word, little girl. I prefer crapsaccharine. This town is heaven on earth. The real question is whether or not 'heaven' is what the residents hoped for," Hank explained. Isabella took another look at the town, and the forest. It was hard to see, but it did indeed seem like the town was vaguely 'off'.

"Take my family's experience. Dad was fine. Mom is a stickler for housework, and the fact that the entire house was self-sufficient drove her to drink. Bart was armed with the knowledge expected of a ten-year-old in Springfield (which doesn't admittedly amount to much), and was considered in need of remedial classes surrounded by kids like him- no good reason to be there. And I'm a natural tree-hugger, but I'm allergic to this entire forest," Lisa elaborated. Isabella nodded. Automated houses, suppressing the underachievers, and an environment that probably had artificial chemicals added. Sounded crapsaccharine.

"But we can worry about the town later, right?" Phineas asked.

"Of course we can. We've got to take down Bart. And then we'll worry about my rule. Maybe. If I got time when I get my darkness back…" Hank said.

"Did you have to remind me?"

* * *

Bart woke up. The last thing he remembered doing was firing the Dark Magnifier. But then… nothing. He looked around the room he was in. The room appeared to have no surroundings. It was made almost entirely from mist, with sporadic features. He got up, and began stumbling around. It wasn't long before he spotted a man, hunched over a computer. He turned. He wore a dark cape with a hood, but it was his eyes that were the most noticeable. There were no pupils within them. His eyeballs were completely white.

"Nice to see you. I was wondering when you would get up," he said. His voice was like chalk on a chalkboard.

"I'm Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?" Bart asked.

"Isn't it obvious, even to the most dim-witted individual such as yourself?" the man asked, flicking back his hood. Hidden inside was a familiar pointed hairstyle.

"…But… I'm Bart Simpson!" Bart cried out.

"Keep telling yourself that, boy. I am Bartholomew Jo-Jo Simpson, most evil man in the universe, underachiever and proud of it, and soon to be conqueror of this pathetic land!" the dark-clad Bart said. Bart growled, and pulled out his trusty slingshot. With a sudden snap, the leather pouch broke into pieces. Bartholomew nodded, and turned back to his computer.

* * *

"Bart! Look what you have done!" Lisa cried out. The six had barged in to the tall, cavernous room that Scorpio called his base.

"I know! It's grand, isn't it? There's still time, sister… you can join me, and we will rule as king and queen!" Bart said cheerfully. Lisa growled, before running at the wall, and climbing up it so fast, she seemed to almost teleport.

* * *

Bart and Lisa stood at opposite ends of the arena, both snarling. Bart made the first move, charging to punch Lisa. Lisa reached into her backpack, and pulled out a plank of wood to block the blow. Two more blows came from either side, and Lisa blocked both of them. She threw the plank at Bart, before jumping over and landing on his face. Bart was knocked down. Lisa cheered, before wondering how to get Bart back to normal. Her pondering was interrupted by Bart, who grabbed her backpack, and threw it over the edge.

"Maggie!" Lisa cried out. She forgot she left her sister in it.

* * *

"What? You monster! You might have just killed my sister!" Bart called out. Bartholomew called up a few chains to restrain him, and turned back to the fight.

* * *

Isabella ran forward, and caught the backpack in her arms. Out came baby Maggie, who smiled and hugged Isabella.

"Phineas, we have a child!" Isabella called out. She walked over to them, before stopping to look up. She knew that Bart was going to keep fighting. But if they could rewire the Dark Magnifier…

"Phineas! We have to get up there!" Isabella said. Maggie got out of the backpack, and started pulling a giant ladder from it. It reached the machine's emergency control panel, and both Phineas and Ferb climbed up.

* * *

"All done!" Phineas called out. He entered the machine to aim it, but found the weapon out of power.

"I appreciate the thought, but it just doesn't work like that…" a gravelly voice called out from level with Phineas' station. It was an old pharmacist in a lab coat.

"What do I have to do?" Phineas shouted. It was a mark of the gravity of the situation that he did not ask the man's name.

"To redirect so much evil energy… you need a source of good. I never planned for this setting because of this. To reverse the power, shut off the evil energies, and save the boy, you'll need an inherently good person. Right now, anyone will do, even someone who would not normally have ever had a shred of decency. But… it will leech them dry. It will kill the choice subject in a best case scenario," he explained. Phineas gulped. He looked around the room. Not one person deserved to die for Bart's actions.

* * *

"Did you hear that? Someone's going to die because of you!" Bart cried out. Bartholomew shrugged.

"It is unavoidable. But I don't think, even if they sacrificed everyone in this room, they could drive me out!" Bartholomew stated. Bart pulled on his chains, releasing himself. Grunting in shock, Bartholomew was thrown to the ground and pulled into a melee.

* * *

"Bart's lost control! We have to act now!" Lisa cried out.

"…I'll do it. I've led a good life," the eventual choice said.

"But… you'll die!" Phineas cried out.

"So? It's my fault this happened in the first place. It's only right that I fix this. I regret that this is my only option, but I hope that my death will allow this boy to live a proper life…" he said.

"…Goodbye…" Phineas said, sighing. Hank Scorpio entered the barrel of the machine, and Phineas took aim. He closed his eyes, and fired.

* * *

"Whoa… where am I?" Bart asked. The flash of light had coursed over the field. Bart was moaning to himself.

"Bart! Oh Bart! It's so good to see you again!" Lisa started cheering, drawing him into a hug. Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Maggie and Bethany all climbed onto the platform, and joined in a group hug.

"But need I remind you Hank Scorpio is dead?" Phineas asked, bringing up the topic as a devil's advocate.

"Yes… I regret that you had to kill a man, Phineas. But it was all for the… hm…" Bethany started, before she realised: all they had won was Lisa's old brother. Was it really worth someone's death for that?

"Look how happy she is…" Isabella sighed. She knew how extremely Lisa had felt upon losing her family. It was a hard burden, and her family had been nice enough to warrant a huge mourning. Isabella bowed her head, in deep thought.

"Hank was right, Phineas. Although the loss of Bart was not his fault, the descent into madness was. I think that he would have felt guilty about having been the cause of that. Whatever his fate, it could have hardly been worse than living with guilt, could it?" she said. Phineas mulled it over.

"I'm still going to have nightmares about this, aren't I?"

"Yes. That much is a guarantee. But I will always be there for you, Phineas. I will keep you company," Isabella promised.

* * *

**Cast Credits (in order of appearance)**

**Lisa Marie Simpson: **Lisa eventually became the first female President of the United States. Her rule, though initially controversial, became known as a Golden Age, and many wanted her to stay in power past the two term limit. She, however, declined, and served the rest of her days with Lieflijk's College. She never married.

**Margaret Evelyn Simpson: **A loyal sister to the very end, Maggie stayed in contact with Lisa, and served as one of Lisa's best friends. She chose to wander the world and discover as much knowledge as she possibly could. Books of her journeys eventually became bestsellers.

**Clancy Wiggum: **His role in Lisa's growth was minor at best, but he was incredibly important in the training of Bart Simpson to become what he did. For his services to the House of Simpson, his gross incompetence was eternally given a blind eye.

**Charles Montgomery Burns: **Unfortunately, the drain on his life force of pure hatred and malice took a heavy toll. While Bart held his evil energies, Mr Burns died at his record-breaking age of… well… no one actually kept count.

**Bethany Lieflijk: **Bethany's idealism was well funded by Lisa. Lieflijk's College nurtured thousands of students in Bethany's lifetime, and several more afterwards. It soon became a valid point on your resume to include attendance at Lieflijk's College, despite the lack of a grading system.

**Marjorie Jacqueline Simpson (née Bouvier): **Marge was eventually released from jail, serving a total of thirteen years jail time. Her reunion with her kids was the happiest moment of her life, but the stress she had undergone beforehand was permanently traumatic.

**Phineas Flynn: **The decision to kill Hank Scorpio weighed heavily on his mind, even years after the event. He never slept a full night since, but was still competent enough awake to build a variety of inventions. He never reached the perfect device to cure trauma.

**Isabella Flynn (née Garcia-Shapiro): ** Isabella became Phineas' bride after seemingly years of patience. She served to try and wheedle as many hours of sleep out of him as she could, and Phineas could not have asked for a better helper in that regard.

**Ferb Fletcher: **Although not as desperately upset about Scorpio's death as Phineas, Ferb never spoke a word since. He served as Lisa's Vice President, and was wrapped in mystery to the very end.

**Homer Jay Simpson: **Homer was released from jail on account he never return to Las Vegas. He was eternally kicked out of nearly everywhere except Moe's Tavern, always being let back in on account of people forgetting about his ban. His original sentence was so long, he forgot about his children, and never saw what they became, but he did at least see Marge.

**Bartholomew Jo-Jo Simpson: **Bart's temper was ignited for what he had done while succumbed to darkness. After cooling down enough for proper work, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. While he acquitted several mere pranksters, he was uncommonly harsh on evil actions.

**Heinz Doofenshmirtz: **He accepted that he would have to sacrifice Hank Scorpio to regain what little evil he had. He spends the rest of his days locked in an eternal battle with his arch-nemesis Perry The Platypus, an arrangement agreeable to both.

**Thanks to bad visions, my desire to write longer chapters, and new arrangements of ideas, this story wound up finished early. Shoot.**

**This ending was something I had planned for this new version, but doubt I executed well. I hope you will at least like the epilogue of what each main character is now doing. And, despite the fact he is mentioned in my notes, I am surprised that Perry the Platypus is mentioned only in Doofenshmirtz's ending.**

**And the scenes where the text is centred takes place in Bart's mind, a conflict between the evil and his inherent good. It's mostly a test for a future story, in scenes of inherent surreality. Though I intended for the text to be aligned to the right. Is there a suggestion box on this site?**

**If anybody wants me, I'll be in my room, overloaded with paperwork.**


End file.
